News Update
May 21, 2012
American Angus Auxiliary Hosts Heifer Auction
The American Angus Auxiliary heifer auction is an ideal way to support the Angus community, and bring home top Angus genetics. Gardiner Angus Ranch of Ashland, Kan., donated this year's heifer to be sold during "The Tradition Continues" auction, which is held June 17 in conjunction with The All-American Angus Breeder's Futurity at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center in Louisville, Ky.
"What makes the Angus breed so valuable is the American Angus Association, the Angus Foundation and the American Angus Auxiliary," says Mark Gardiner of Gardiner Angus Ranch. "We are happy to pull our weight and donate this outstanding heifer."
The auction presents the bred-heifer GAR Progress M381, sired by GAR Progress. She is bred to GAR Prophet and offers genetics that rank in the top 15% of the Angus database. Gardiner Angus Ranch will also donate transportation costs.
For the full release, visit www.angus.org/Pub/Newsroom/Releases/
51812_AuxiliaryHeifer.aspx?utm_source=NewsFeed&utm_medium=
email&utm_campaign=51812AuxiliaryHeifer.
Ticks Emerging Earlier Than Normal
Typically, ticks begin to appear in late spring and early summer as warm weather sets in, but this year, cases of the annual pest were reported three to four weeks earlier than normal, said agents with the University of Kentucky (UK) Cooperative Extension Service.
"I've been receiving calls about ticks for well over a month already from homeowners, farmers and hunters," said Kenny Perry, Graves County agriculture and natural resources extension agent.
"I'm seeing them earlier than before and expect them to be a problem this year," said Charles May, Perry County agriculture and natural resources extension agent.
The early appearance of ticks is likely due to the weather earlier this year.
"Winter survival was probably higher due to the mild winter, and the tick season started earlier because of the warm spring," said Lee Townsend, extension entomologist with the UK College of Agriculture.
Townsend said the two most common ticks in Kentucky are the lone star tick and the American dog tick. The adult female lone star tick has a white spot on its back. The male is entirely reddish-brown. The American dog tick is reddish brown with mottled white markings on its back. Both tick species are most active during April through September throughout much of Kentucky. All developmental stages of the lone star tick feed on humans, but only the adult stage of the America dog tick does.
Neither tick carries Lyme disease. Infected American dog ticks can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Fortunately, the incidence of disease is very low in this state. Researchers are studying a possible link between the lone star tick and Southern Tick Associated Rash Illness (STARI) and human ehrlichiosis. Individuals who experience flu-like symptoms within two weeks of a bite or exposure to a tick should see a doctor and report any exposure to ticks.
Like Perry and May, Richard Whitis, Pulaski County agriculture and natural resources extension agent, received some very early questions about ticks and tick identification. They were due to the blacklegged tick, a species only occasionally found in Eastern Kentucky before this past winter. Unlike the other two ticks, adult blacklegged ticks are most active in November through April. The blacklegged tick is most commonly found in the Northeast and north central states.
For the full release, visit http://news.ca.uky.edu/article/
ticks-emerging-earlier-normal.
National Western Stock Show Names New Chairman;
Adds Two Members to Executive Committee
Ron Williams has been elected chairman of the board of the Western Stock Show Association (DBA, National Western Stock Show). The announcement was made today, May 21, by Paul Andrews, president and CEO of the National Western Stock Show (NWSS) and Complex. "We lost a great man last week with the passing of Jerry McMorris, but today the board has added another great leader in Ron Williams. Ron will be a real asset to the leadership of the Executive Committee and was a unanimous choice for chairman at our annual meeting earlier today," said Andrews.
Williams is the president and CEO of the Gary-Williams Co. and has been in partnership with Sam Gary for 35 years. He was raised in rural Nebraska and moved to Colorado upon graduation from college in 1967. Williams owns and manages a cow-calf operation in the "gyp hills" of southern Kansas. Williams has been a member and treasurer of the Executive Committee of the NWSS for eight years. Along with his ties to the ranching community and his strong leadership within the Denver business community, Williams, as a long time member of the Children's Hospital Foundation Board, chaired the board's capital campaign that successfully secured the private funding for the building of the new state-of-the-art Children's Hospital at the Fitzsimmons campus.
He continues his philanthropic involvement by serving as the vice-chairman of the Piton Foundation, a private operating foundation that comprises the community investment division of the Gary-Williams Co. The Piton Foundation, as its name implies, was founded in 1976 by Gary, and provides opportunities for families and children to move from poverty and dependence to self-reliance.
The board also ratified the recommendation to add two new members to the Executive Committee in Don Elliman and Gail Klapper.
Elliman currently serves as chancellor of the University of Colorado–Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus and runs both the downtown and the medical campus. Former Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter appointed Elliman as the state's COO and he was director of the State of Colorado's Office of Economic Development. Elliman had a 30-year career with Time Inc., was the CEO of Ascent Sports, owners of the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and Pepsi Center, and worked for Kroenke Sports Enterprises as their president after Ascent Sports sold the enterprise to Stan Kroenke.
Klapper founded the Klapper Firm and serves as its managing principal. Klapper is the director of the Colorado Forum. Founded in 1978, the Colorado Forum is a group of Colorado chief executive officers and leading professionals whose goal is to create an informed, objective voice on critical public policy issues. Klapper founded the Public Education & Business Coalition. In 1976, she was appointed by President Ford as a White House Fellow and special assistant to the Secretary of the Interior.
Klapper served as a member of Colorado Governor Richard Lamm's Cabinet. Klapper currently serves on the Board of Maxim Series Fund Inc., a subsidiary of Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Co., as president of the board of the Hyatt Regency at the Convention Center Authority. Klapper brings extensive expertise and knowledge of the Colorado economic, political and business environment. Klapper is also active in the equestrian world and has been on the NWSS Horse Classification Committee for many years.
President Obama's Historic Speech on
Agriculture and Nutrition at G8
"Now, this weekend at the G8, we'll be represented by many of the world's largest economies. We face urgent challenges — creating jobs, addressing the situation in the Eurozone, sustaining the global economic recovery. But even as we deal with these issues, I felt it was also important, also critical, to focus on the urgent challenge that confronts some 1 billion men, women and children around the world: the injustice of chronic hunger; the need for long-term food security.
"So tomorrow at the G8, we're going to devote a special session to this challenge. We're launching a major new partnership to reduce hunger and lift tens of millions of people from poverty. And we'll be joined by leaders from across Africa, including the first three nations to undertake this effort and who join us here today. I want to acknowledge them: Prime Minister Meles of Ethiopia, President Mills of Ghana and President Kikwete of Tanzania.
"I also want to acknowledge President Yayi of Benin, chair of the African Union, which has shown great leadership in this cause. And two of our leaders in this effort — USAID Administrator Dr. Raj Shah and the CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corp., Daniel Yohannes."
For the full release, visit www.agrimarketing.com/s/75240.
United States Cattle on Feed Down 1%
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.1 million head on May 1, 2012. The inventory was 1% below May 1, 2011 figures.
Placements in feedlots during April totaled 1.52 million, 15% below 2011 figures. Net placements were 1.44 million head. During April, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds (lb.) were 355,000; 600-699 lb. were 250,000; 700-799 lb. were 380,000; and 800 lb. and greater were 536,000. Marketings of fed cattle during April totaled 1.82 million, slightly above 2011 figures.
Other disappearance totaled 78,000 during April, 30% above 2011 figures.
For full release, visit www.nass.usda.gov/.
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